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The film, which marked Alexander Cassini’s writing and directing debut, premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, according to the 20 Jan 1992 HR. The picture would later screen at several film festivals including the 1992 Houston International Film Festival, the 1992 AFI Fest, and the 1993 Brussels Festival of Fantasy, Thriller & Science Fiction Films.
The Fall 1992 Filmmaker reported that Northern Arts had acquired domestic rights, and planned to open the picture in Sep 1992 in ten U.S. markets. However, the film was not released until 2 Apr 1993. An advertisement in the 2 Apr 1993 LAWeekly noted a limited engagement beginning that day at the Landmark Nuart theater in Santa Monica, CA.
End credits include the following acknowledgements: "'2nd Honeymoon' courtesy of Martindale-Giden Productions"; “'It’s A Wonderful Life' courtesy of Budget Films"; "War and political violence footage courtesy of White Production Archives, Inc."; "First crime news footage courtesy of Newsreel Video Service"; "Second crime news footage courtesy of Rick Spalla Video Productions"; "Cartoon: 'Fresh Vegetable Mystery' courtesy of Film Bank"; "Photos courtesy of Wide World Photos, Inc."; "Open heart surgical footage courtesy of Terry L. Brian.” Also acknowledged: “Special Thanks to: Buzz Harris, Michael Lally, Robert Resnick, Reid Shane, The Residents of Pilgrim Tower, and Parks ...
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The film, which marked Alexander Cassini’s writing and directing debut, premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, according to the 20 Jan 1992 HR. The picture would later screen at several film festivals including the 1992 Houston International Film Festival, the 1992 AFI Fest, and the 1993 Brussels Festival of Fantasy, Thriller & Science Fiction Films.
The Fall 1992 Filmmaker reported that Northern Arts had acquired domestic rights, and planned to open the picture in Sep 1992 in ten U.S. markets. However, the film was not released until 2 Apr 1993. An advertisement in the 2 Apr 1993 LAWeekly noted a limited engagement beginning that day at the Landmark Nuart theater in Santa Monica, CA.
End credits include the following acknowledgements: "'2nd Honeymoon' courtesy of Martindale-Giden Productions"; “'It’s A Wonderful Life' courtesy of Budget Films"; "War and political violence footage courtesy of White Production Archives, Inc."; "First crime news footage courtesy of Newsreel Video Service"; "Second crime news footage courtesy of Rick Spalla Video Productions"; "Cartoon: 'Fresh Vegetable Mystery' courtesy of Film Bank"; "Photos courtesy of Wide World Photos, Inc."; "Open heart surgical footage courtesy of Terry L. Brian.” Also acknowledged: “Special Thanks to: Buzz Harris, Michael Lally, Robert Resnick, Reid Shane, The Residents of Pilgrim Tower, and Parks Whiteman.”
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A young man named Henry Pinkle stands on the ledge of a building, preparing to jump to his death. A stranger named Sam Bones arrives and commiserates with Henry, then agrees to jump with him. However, Sam changes his mind, and tells Henry he should also reconsider. After Sam leaves, Henry steps down from the ledge. He remembers a visit to his social worker, Wendy, where he told her that the only thing he cares about is a television show called The Robertson Family. Sometime later, Sam Bones reappears in his living room, and tells Henry he will never be alone again. Sam invites Henry to live with him in his modern home, telling him that all he asks is for the young man’s commitment. Elsewhere, Wendy watches a videotape sent to her by Henry, in which he confesses that he killed himself after learning that The Robertson Family was cancelled. Meanwhile, Sam promises to make Henry a television star, and takes him to a television studio where he has contacts. Henry’s mind plays tricks on him as he watches videos in which a faceless woman instructs him to follow his violent destiny. Sam Bones gives Henry a plastic baby mask and a hatchet, and sends him to make his “debut” at a suburban home. Henry enters the dark house and watches television in the living room, but flees before murdering the homeowner. He apologizes to Sam for disappointing him. When Sam ...
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A young man named Henry Pinkle stands on the ledge of a building, preparing to jump to his death. A stranger named Sam Bones arrives and commiserates with Henry, then agrees to jump with him. However, Sam changes his mind, and tells Henry he should also reconsider. After Sam leaves, Henry steps down from the ledge. He remembers a visit to his social worker, Wendy, where he told her that the only thing he cares about is a television show called The Robertson Family. Sometime later, Sam Bones reappears in his living room, and tells Henry he will never be alone again. Sam invites Henry to live with him in his modern home, telling him that all he asks is for the young man’s commitment. Elsewhere, Wendy watches a videotape sent to her by Henry, in which he confesses that he killed himself after learning that The Robertson Family was cancelled. Meanwhile, Sam promises to make Henry a television star, and takes him to a television studio where he has contacts. Henry’s mind plays tricks on him as he watches videos in which a faceless woman instructs him to follow his violent destiny. Sam Bones gives Henry a plastic baby mask and a hatchet, and sends him to make his “debut” at a suburban home. Henry enters the dark house and watches television in the living room, but flees before murdering the homeowner. He apologizes to Sam for disappointing him. When Sam tells him the “heroic deed” will lead to his sainthood, Henry returns to the home and chops the homeowner to death. News of the serial killings is flashed all over the television, with fifteen murders occurring over the course of a month. Wendy is stunned when Henry appears at her door. She chastises him for considering suicide and for not notifying her sooner that he is still alive. Henry tells her he is doing fine and has a new manager named Sam Bones. Wendy asks to meet Sam, and Henry gives her his address. However, Sam tells Henry that Wendy would not understand their mission, and implores him to kill her. Henry sneaks into Wendy’s bedroom while she sleeps, and lies on the floor wearing his mask, but he cannot bring himself to kill her. Ignoring Henry’s pleas, Sam insists he will have to do the job himself. When Henry warns Wendy about Sam, she tells him that the address he gave her does not exist, and that Sam is imaginary, which upsets Henry. Wendy enters her apartment and finds that her sister Julie has been murdered. She flees to the hallway where Henry intercepts her and blames Sam for Julie’s death. Henry locks Wendy in her apartment to keep her safe while he goes to appeal to Sam. While he searches the apartment building for his mentor, Wendy breaks through the wall into the apartment next door, and discovers that her neighbors have also been murdered. After she slips on the bloody floor and is knocked unconscious, Henry arrives and prevents Sam from strangling her. Henry takes Wendy to the rooftop to hide from Sam, but when Henry fights the “imaginary” killer, Wendy calls out that Sam does not exist. Henry puts on his mask and pleads that he does not want to kill her, and Wendy tries to talk sense into the delusional man. He raises his hatchet but instead of striking, he lets Wendy go, and jumps off the ledge. Paramedics arrive as Henry clings to life on the ground below. Meanwhile, Wendy goes to Henry’s apartment and sees evidence of his delusions in pictures posted on his walls. She watches the television set he left on, and sees Henry on the news. With cameras in his face, he sputters out his dying words, “I’m on T.V.!”
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Seventy-year-old newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane dies in his palatial Florida home, Xanadu, after uttering the single word “Rosebud.” While watching a newsreel summarizing the years during which Kane ... >>

The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the
AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.